CDC: Schools start too early


On Board Online • October 12, 2015

By Eric D. Randall
Editor-in-Chief

Most American adolescents start school too early, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study that analyzed U.S. Department of Education data from the 2011-12 school year.

The lead author, CDC epidemiologist Anne Wheaton, said, "Getting enough sleep is important for students' health, safety, and academic performance. Early school start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need."

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later to allow students the opportunity to get the recommended amount of sleep on school nights, about 8.5 to 9.5 hours.

Among an estimated 39,700 public middle, high, and combined schools in the United States, the average start time was 8:03 a.m., with 17.7 percent starting at 8:30 a.m. or later.

In New York State, the average start time was 7:59 a.m., with 11 percent starting at 8:30 a.m. or later.

Most schools in North Dakota (78%) and Alaska (76%) started after 8:30 a.m.

According to the CDC, adolescents who do not get enough sleep are more likely to:

  • Be overweight
  • Not engage in daily physical activity
  • Suffer from depressive symptoms
  • Engage in unhealthy risk behaviors such as drinking, smoking tobacco, and using illicit drugs
  • Perform poorly in school

Webinar offered

NYSSBA will offer a free webinar on "Later High School Start Time" at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Presenters from the Glens Falls school district will describe their experiences since changing their high school start time to 8:26 a.m. beginning in 2012. For more information, contact NYSSBA at (800) 342-3360.




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